Fashion Week/end

First of all, mad props to my co-conspirator for her lovely Bloom menu last night ("lesser half?" Only in height, my dear.). The food was creative yet still very Vietnamese, and the sharp grapefruit sorbet was seriously inspired. And as for the design element, since that's my realm here, we actually noticed how well-designed the restaurant was--pleasing minimalist environment and neat proportions (high tables with tall chairs, high ceilings, potted trees, big spacy wall designs). It was exactly what Beau and I agreed we'd have expected from looking at the invitation; i.e. Bloom is doing a bang-up job of branding itself. Look at what those marketing classes have done to me--I'm all talkin' like a G.D. ad exec.

In other news, I know I've been brief and sporadic with my updates-that-are-really-just-celeb-sightings, but I've been insanely busy with my new full-time job as head of sales and promotions and junk for this boutique's online store. It's far more hectic than I'd imagined and my to-do list gets longer each day. It's been consistently interesting, though, and there's tons of dirt I'd love to spill here (Nicole Richie drama! etc!) but am too paranoid to actually transcribe. But oh gosh--SO MUCH INTRA-OFFICE DRAMA.
Seriously SO MUCH! None of it really involves me, though it's hard not to get sucked into it. Suffice it to say that when my New York boss came for a weeklong visit last week, her intense vigilance ("she's looking so hard over my houlder she's practically riding piggyback) brought things practically to a breaking point. Now she's back in Le Apple Grande, but hardly away; today I spent ungodly amounts of time going through her hundreds of photos from Paris Fashion Week, rotating them all 90 degrees, and burning them onto CDs to be FedExed--Priority Overnight--to her apartment. It was almost sad, going through these scads of not-yet-available-to-the-public garments from Stella McCartney (like the dress below), Pierre Hardy, Chloe, and god knows who else, but not being able to register the gorgeous things flicking past my eyes because I had no time to stop and take a look.


Let's just say, though, that we've hardly seen the end of babydoll/empire/loose dresses, and that "sacklike" is definitely the word du jour for fall. There are also some wicked glossy pumps with platforms in front, notably from Stella, that will catch everyone's eye come summer (when, naturally, the fall collections arrive in stores). Does anyone really still shop ahead for a season? I know that I basically buy as I go, with an item or two each month as I can't hold off any longer; I'd never, though, attempt to buy it all at the start. What if styles changed and I'd guessed wrong? What if everyone in the universe had what I'd gotten, and I ended up feeling like the equivalent of a girl wearing a micromini and Uggs who walked through the USC campus? I can't imagine anyone in this era buying a season at a time. Except, perhaps, ladies like the ridiculously refined woman I've been helping with her store orders. She sent her request for an exchange on heavy, embossed monogrammed cardstock. After my usual countless e-mails back and forth, I could barely believe that someone had actually picked up a pen to write to me (surely, in this case, a gold-nib custom-made fountain pen). Naturally, she's from Alabama and has a totally stereotypical Southern-belle name. Those girls from down South--wish I dealt with more of those instead of legions of harried New York chicks.
Speaking of Southerners, I've been carrying on quite the correspondence with LeAnn Rimes. She thanks me every time I send her a note! Aww. How very very. Better than Mischa Barton, ungrateful wretch...she wandered into the store yesterday, completely blitzed-looking (the salesgirls barely recognized her), stumbled around for a while, and then left without trying anything. So perfect: most people, when stoned, eat some Tootsie Rolls or watch TV and laugh at things or maybe go hug trees. Mischa Barton, when stoned, goes shopping in West Hollywood. Love it. Oh, and to be dutiful, I should report that Heidi Klum is really beautiful in person. I always thought it was a little weird on Project Runway when they'd dress her up in vaguely S&M clothes, and I only agree with myself more after seeing her close up and admiring how...wholesome she is. Like a healthy, radiant German princess. Which is, I guess, basically what she is. I'll leave you kids with that now; I have a launch party for Kobe Bryant's new Nike sneaker to attend.
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